What arts-related questions do you have for the candidates?
Dialogue with critical issues in the arts including access, creativity, displacement, homelessness and housing, income inequality, journalism, preservation, and racial equity.
What are critical arts issues for you and your community in Seattle and King County? Add to this resource by naming questions and critical issues in the comments.
Access
Affordability and Housing
- “Capitol Hill’s 12th Ave Arts hoped to be a sign of things to come with Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability expansion,” Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, 21 March 2019
- “In Seattle, Artspace’s vision for low-income housing is falling apart,” Margo Vansynghel and Lulu Ramadan, The Seattle Times, 22 June 2025
Closures and Mergers
- “ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Company will merge,” Gemma Wilson, The Seattle Times, 30 January 2025
- “ArtSEA: Historic Cornish building reborn as community arts hub,” Brangien Davis, CascadePBS, 9 January 2025
- “5th Avenue Theatre and Seattle Theatre Group form alliance,” Gemma Wilson, The Seattle Times, 28 March 2025
- “Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre to close after 33 years,” Margo Vansynghel, The Seattle Times, 27 June 2023
- “Seattle University will acquire Cornish College of the Arts,” Margo Vansynghel, The Seattle Times, 18 March 2025
- “STG at Kerry Hall already in motion as Seattle Theater Group makes immediate use of its $6M Capitol Hill acquisition,” Domenic Strazzabosco, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, 9 January 2025
Covid-19
Creativity
- The CAP Report (PDF, 92 pages), City of Seattle & Office of Arts and Culture
Cultural Access
- Access for All, King County
- Doors Open, King County
- Inspire Washington
Disability Justice and the Arts
Displacement and Gentrification
- “Looking at Gentrification in Seattle,” by Knute Berger (Seattle Magazine, 17 October 2016)
- “Central Intelligence: As gentrification threatens culture, can art help save the soul of the C.D.?,” by Jonathan Cunningham (City Arts, 26 October 2017)
- “Seattle Artists Race to Document Cultures Gentrification is Erasing,” by Jen Graves (The Stranger, 30 November 2016)
Education
- The Creative Advantage
- “Assessing Learning Through the Arts,” (PDF, 16 pages), Seattle Arts Education Consortium,
Economic Development
- “ARTS partnered with UW Evans School on a study of the creative economy,” Arts Beat Blog, Office of Arts & Culture
Governmental Agencies and Policies
- Office of Arts and Culture
- Office of Music and Film
- Seattle Arts Commission
- History Link: “Seattle Arts Commission / Office of Arts & Culture“
Homelessness
- “Giving Voice to the Homeless at Seattle Art Museum,” by Jim Dever (King 5 News, 25 June 2019)
- “New piece at Seattle Art Museum builds on community perceptions of homelessness,” by Zosha Millman (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 21 May 2019)
Income Inequality
- “Income inequity in the arts is a national problem. How does Seattle stack up?,” by Aguedo Pacheco Flores, ( Crosscut, 24 June 2019)
Journalism
- “End of an Era,” by Leah Baltus, Amanda Manitach, Dan Paulus, Gemma Wilson, Jonathan Zwickel (City Arts Magazine, 8 November 2018)
- “R.I.P. City Arts,” by Christopher Frizzelle (The Stranger, 8 November 2018)
- “City Arts is officially done: magazine ceases publication: lets go of staff,” by Brendan Kiley (The Seattle Times, 8 November 2018)
Preservation
- “The Latest Battle Over the Showbox,” by Erica C Barnett (Seattle Magazine, 20 June 2019)
- “City Gives the Showbox Landmark Status, Citing Stage, Dance Floor, Domed Ceiling, and Exterior,” by Lester Black (The Stranger, 18 July 2019)
- “Historical Preservation: What’s Worth Saving,” by Margo Vansynghel (CityArts, 26 October 2018)
Racial Equity
- “Racial Equity,” Office of Arts and Culture
- “ARTS Publishes ‘Capacity Building for Racial Equity in Public Art,” by Erika Lindsay (Arts Beat Blog Office of Arts and Culture, 2 October 2018)
- “Looking In, Looking Out: Equity at 4Culture,” by Lauren Semet (4Culture, 22 February 2018)
- “City Encourages Local Creatives to Discuss Racial Equality with New Workshops,” by Ana Sofia Knauf (The Stranger, 13 September 2016)
Valuing the Arts
Social Impact Study, ArtsFund’s assessment of the economic and social value of arts in the region
Seattle Arts Voter Guide 